A Christmas Wish
by Melissa Moore
Summary: It's Christmas once again, and Tomoyo has to spend it alone. Can a special present drag her from her loneliness? Eriol&Tomoyo.


**A/N: **This was a story written by me a few years ago. It has been edited, and parts re-written (taking reviews and suggestions into account). It has been re-posted here for archival purposes. Please check my profile if you are confused, or before you accuse me of plagiarism. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

**Summary: **Tomoyo spends yet another Christmas alone. Can a certain blue-haired wizard pull her from her depression and make her believe Christmas is worth celebrating? ExT.

**A Christmas Wish  
****By Melissa Moore**

It was truly a white Christmas in the town of Tomoeda. Roaring fireplaces could be seen through slightly frosted windows, loving couples sipping lightly or simply warming their fingers on a cup of hot cocoa, most inaudibly conversing with their mates about the delicate subject of their future. In some windows you could see rosy-cheeked children either shaking their presents in earnest, begging their parents to let them open them, or tiny infants held in the arms of their mothers, straining toward the nipple of a bottle of warm milk. Their parents would laugh whole-heartedly at their children's advances, shaking their heads.

But amidst all these warming scenes of comfort, family, and love, one lone figure walked alone. Her vivid amethyst eyes and soft bluish-gray hair stood out against the starkness of the fresh snow. Her full lips curved into a hesitant smile as she walked by a pair of children gleefully making a snowman in their front yard. She glanced forward and sighed, a puff of condensed air billowing in front of her.

She kept her eyes trained on the sidewalk in front of her. The scenes of happy couples and families caused her heart to thump painfully. Although she was quite lonely, she was extremely happy that her cousin, Kinomoto Sakura, and her friend, Li Syaoran, were finally reunited after Syaoran's lengthy vacation in Hong Kong.

At the mention of vacation, a memory of another of their close friends rose unbidden to her mind's surface. Thoughts of a navy-haired, navy-eyed sorcerer named Hiiragizawa Eriol. It was ironic. It had been that precise sorcerer who had, metaphorically speaking, brought Sakura and Syaoran together. It had been during their teary good-bye four years prior that Tomoyo had realized she'd loved him. That in itself was a blow to her stomach, coupled with the fact that he was leaving for England, and the fact that he was leaving with his one true love, Mizuki Kaho. Of course, she had to grin and bear it, trying desperately not to blush furiously in his presence as he had kissed the back of her hand gallantly before winking and rushing off to board his plane. It was hard enough not to swoon just by hearing the deep timbre of his laugh and being on the receiving end of his mischievous winks. But alas, she was not one to interfere with love when it was staring her so boldly in the face.

He had come to Tomoeda the previous year for Christmas, of course, bringing Kaho with him. They had all been at Sakura's house celebrating when Eriol had stood to announce the news that had sent Tomoyo's heart plummeting to the very depths of her stomach. She still remembered it with haunting clarity.

_"Kaho and I have an announcement. I have asked her to marry me... and she has accepted."_

Tomoyo remembered snatching up her coat with an anger that surprised even herself, attempting to sneak away amidst all of the congratulations. She only regretted that Sakura had spotted her, placing a hand on her shoulder. When Tomoyo had spun around, furious, hurt, bitter tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, Sakura had understood with a slight nod of her head and let her be. She hadn't heard from him since. Or more accurately, she had chosen never to hear from him again. With that one sentence, she felt her heart being torn in two. Why couldn't he just realize her true feelings? But then again, she had never attempted to show or even voice her feelings to one of her crushes. But of course, one had to remain secret. It was imperative.

Sakura.

Tomoyo still remembered with a trace of guilt and shame the crush she had had on her cousin four years prior. That was until she met Eriol.

She sighed and slipped through the iron gates of her house. As soon as she stepped inside, she threw her gloves haphazardly on the entryway table and shook the snow from her hair.

Her mother was away on a business trip in New York, which wasn't much of a surprise. She was gone most of the year, busy with press conferences and fashion shows. She was usually around for Christmas... but this year, Daidouji Sonomi had been asked to create a winter line for Vivian Versace after the woman had been visiting Japan and spotted her mother's humble store in Tokyo. Tomoyo had been thrilled for her mother, but was before she realized that she would be spending Christmas alone. Of course, her mother had missed plenty of holidays. Tomoyo supposed she couldn't complain... her mother's business _did_ pay for the roof over her head, warm food to eat, and stylish clothes... not to mention a few camcorders to tape her cute cousin!

The familiar ring of the telephone echoed through the silent house. She slipped off her coat and threw it over a chair, leaning over the counter to retrieve her obnoxious phone. The phone's incoming call signal grated on her nerves every time she heard it.

"Hello?" she asked hesitantly, pressing the 'TALK' button. She hoped it wasn't her mother, no matter how screwed up it sounded. After a hard day of simply waltzing around the town, she just wanted to slip into a warm bath and let the bubbles lull her to sleep.

"Hi, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura's energetic voice bubbled a little _too_ cheerfully over the phone. "How have you been today? Have you heard from your mom yet?"

Tomoyo winced slightly at the audible smile in Sakura's voice. Today just seemed too dark and dreary for candy dreams and fluffy bunnies... but rather than tell her cousin that, she opted instead to run a hand through her hair, suppressing a sigh. "No, Sakura-chan. I haven't heard from my mother today."

Sakura's voice instantly lost its former cheer. "Are you all right?"

Tomoyo plastered a fake smile on her pale face. "I'm just fine, Sakura-chan. I've just been out walking all day, and I'm rather tired. I was just contemplating soaking in the tub before you called."

"Hoe..." Sakura trailed off, sounding slightly embarrassed and guilty. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to let you know that I have a surprise for you, so I need you to come over tomorrow night."

Tomoyo's eyebrows furrowed together suspiciously. "A surprise? I thought you and Syaoran-kun would want to spend the holiday alone together."

Sakura giggled, her previous buoyancy returning. "Well, Syaoran _did_ want to spend Christmas alone... but that was until we received something that made us think of you."

Tomoyo was completely and utterly perplexed. She hadn't the foggiest idea as to what Sakura was babbling about... so she said the most intelligent thing she could muster at the time. "Huh?"

"Just come over!" Sakura sighed, clearly exasperated and tired of arguing as she hung up the phone with a final 'CLICK'.

Tomoyo stood stock-still, blinking at the phone. That had been the first time Sakura had hung up on her. If Sakura wanted her to come over, she would. Not that she would enjoy it.

Now... to enjoy her bath.

Tomoyo stood impatiently at Sakura's front door, tapping her foot and crossing her arms as she waited for a good three minutes before the door swung open. She had a pretty good idea of what was happening between Sakura and the other male in the house, her friend's cheeks tinted a dark red and her lips swollen. She smiled slightly and shook her head, incredulous at how obvious Sakura could be.

"Hi, Tomoyo-chan!" she yelled a little too nervously, grabbing the other girl's hand and dragging her inside. "I'm so glad you came!"

"Yeah... me, too. Now why did you hang up on me yesterday?" Tomoyo asked, crossing her arms in a playful manner.

Sakura had a sheepish expression on her face, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. "I don't usually do things like that, and I apologize. I just have a surprise for you and I thought you would be really excited about it!" Sakura looked excited herself, and Tomoyo absently wondered what her present was. It had to be something spectacular to make Sakura _this_ giddy.

Her curiosity piqued, she raised an eyebrow as Syaoran walked into the room. "You've got me interested, Sakura-chan. What is it?" She nodded a slight greeting to the flustered boy who was hurriedly attempting to fix his wrinkled shirt and unruly hair.

Sakura winked and led her to the entrance of the hallway. "You know where my room is, right? Just go in there. Syaoran and I will be waiting in the living room."

Tomoyo glanced over her shoulder, her finely arched eyebrows coming together in confusion. "What's going on, Sakura-chan?"

The girl giggled and dragged Syaoran along behind her. "My room... Merry Christmas, Tomoyo-chaaaan..." And with that, she and her boyfriend disappeared from sight.

Tomoyo sighed and ran a hand through her hair, glancing at Sakura's door. She couldn't explain it. She had this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was anxiousness, embarrassment, anger, and curiosity all rolled into one. She walked slowly down the hallway and placed a slender hand on the doorknob, twisting it slightly. With a final exhale, she threw the door open.

Black. That was all she saw and she realized that Sakura must have turned off the light so she wouldn't see her present right away. She smiled at the girl's antics and walked over to her nightstand to turn on the light. As the brilliant light flooded the room and Tomoyo's eyes adjusted, she began to turn, but froze in her tracks as she laid eyes on a familiar navy-haired, navy-eyed, spectacle-wearing sorcerer...

"Hello, Tomoyo-chan."

She stared at him, wide-eyed, but her suppressed hurt came rushing back to the surface. She crossed her arms and glared at him, her eyes asking a silent question that she didn't want to be answered. "Why are you here, Hiiragizawa-kun?"

Eriol slightly winced at the harsh use of his last name. He quickly brushed it off and stood, stepping closer to her. "Hiiragizawa-kun? I thought we were closer than that, Tomo-"

"It's Daidouji-san to _you_."

He pressed his lips into a thin, white line and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't understand why you're being so stubborn."

"I don't understand why you're here. I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you again," she retorted.

"Your letter didn't make sense to me. I came to be here for Christmas... _Daidouji-san_," he drew out, the word dripping with sarcasm.

Her eyes narrowed for a split second, and then her mood miraculously changed. She uncrossed her arms and smiled softly. "Merry Christmas, Hiiragizawa-kun. I hope you have fun celebrating with Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun."

He was surprised, but his eyebrows furrowed together as he realized what she was doing when she turned to leave through the door. He muttered something under his breath and smirked as she pulled on the door, cursing.

_Why won't it open?_ she thought, clearly pissed off. She heard a low chuckle to her right and glared at the door dangerously. "You did this, didn't you?" she accused in a low voice.

"I'm not letting you leave until you talk to me," he answered, waving his fingers. "You seem to forget that I am Clow Reed's reincarnation."

"And you seem to forget that I am a woman who is very angry right now."

Eriol thought about this absently. _Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned_. He chuckled and walked over to her. "Why can't we just sit down and talk about som-"

"Where is Mizuki-san?"

The name seemed to create some unidentifiable emotion in him and his eyes glazed over, distant, his face holding an unreadable expression. "Mizuki is back in England."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. _Why the hell did he use her last name?_" I thought her last name was Hiiragizawa."

He smiled ironically and walked back to the bed. "Mizuki... she fell in love with an English college professor and we decided to call the wedding off."

Eriol thought he saw a trace of relief flash across her eyes, but it was gone so fast he doubted it was even there. "I'm sorry."

He smiled at her, and was immensely relieved when she smiled back hesitantly, coming to sit next to him on the bed. "It's not your fault... Tomoyo-chan..."

She glanced at him and said, "Still, I feel... Nevermind, Eriol-kun."

He was extremely pleased that she had used his first name, and he stared at his folded hands. "Well... I not only broke off the wedding because Mizuki fell in love with someone else... but because I realized I didn't love her the way I thought I did. What love I felt for her... was a very deep affection one would hold for a sister or a close relative."

Tomoyo refused to look at him, embarrassment flooding unbidden through her for some unidentifiable reason. "I always thought you and Mizuki-san were meant for each other." She felt tears pricking at the corner of her eyes and she slid off the bed, walking towards the door. "Open the door, Eriol-kun. I have to get home to call my mom."

He bit his lip and followed her, trapping her between himself and the sealed door. He gently grasped her upper arm and spun her around, eyes widening when he saw the wetness in her amethyst eyes. "Tomoyo-chan, what's wrong?"

She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, her cheeks coloring as she realized Eriol had caught sight of the traitorous tears that had begun to spring free. "Nothing. I just need to call my mom."

"I need to tell you something first. I hope you aren't crying because of me." He placed his hands on either side of her head and leaned down, whispering in her ear, "I have a very good reason why I canceled the wedding."

"T-that's because Mizuki-san fell in love with another man... that's not hard t-to explain," she stammered, his breath on her neck sending shivers down her spine.

"That's not the only reason why, though."

Tomoyo was thoroughly confused. What was he going on about? "W-what?"

"I canceled it... because... I figured something out..."

"W-what?"

"I realized that… I love _you_, Tomoyo-chan..."

She gasped and raised her head, staring into his eyes. He had said it with such tenderness and his eyes looked sincere, but... "Why?"

His eyebrows furrowed together. "I really need to tell you why?"

Tomoyo sighed and shook her head. "No... I need to know why you're telling me _now_."

He glanced away from her and Tomoyo couldn't help but notice the light blush that spread across his cheeks. "When I received your letter, I was hurt beyond words. I couldn't understand what I had done to make you so angry at me, so angry that you wouldn't want anything to do with me any longer. But then I remembered how you reacted when I told everyone Mizuki-san and I were to be married. I realized I couldn't make that mistake."

Tomoyo's cheeks colored as well before she shook her head once more, placing her hands on his chest to push him away from her. "I can't accept your love, Eriol-kun. I'm sorry."

He crossed his arms and glared at her expectantly. "Why not? I know you love me!"

Tomoyo stared at him, an incredulous expression on her face. "How... what..?"

He smiled softly at her. "A letter like that, coupled with your first reaction… It was kinda easy to guess it was jealousy."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't be so full of yourself," she growled. "That was a while ago... I don't love you anymore." _You're such a liar._

"You're lying to me," he stated simply, once again pinning her to the door. He grinned as he saw a furious blush pepper her cheeks and nose. "Tomoyo-chan... what would you do if I kissed you?"

Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. "I-I would-"

He cut her off, swallowing any reply she might have had when he pressed his lips against hers. Her lips were as stiff as frozen persimmons and she failed to relax. He parted his lips to impart a hint of wetness and he gathered her to him, smiling inwardly in success as she wound her arms around his neck. He angled his head, deepening the kiss, sliding his hands into her hair to cradle her head against his advances. She moaned slightly as he nibbled her bottom lip, releasing her mouth sluggishly.

She almost forgot how to breathe. The feeling of his lips on hers had sent a quivering throughout her entire body to the point where she couldn't remember who or where she was. It was her first kiss, and one guaranteed she would never forget for a long while. Who knew that the cocky sorcerer standing in front of her now would be such a good kisser?

She clasped her hands to her bosom and glared at him playfully, giggling a bit when he smiled arrogantly. "So… you're Clow Reed's incarnation but you're still willing to grovel for a woman like me?"

"_Especially _for a woman like you. I knew you couldn't resist me."

She clicked her tongue and wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling in content as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders in return. "You're so arrogant, Eriol-kun."

He chuckled in return and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Merry Christmas, Tomoyo-chan."

"Merry Christmas, Eriol-kun."

And Tomoyo's wish, the one wish she had ever had, came true on that sparkling Christmas.


End file.
